Kale Green Smoothie Nutrition and Health Benefits

Kale is an excellent green to use in your healthy fruit smoothie recipes. Kale is related to cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts and has a flavor that is more suggestive of broccoli. Personally, I prefer to use kale in my green smoothie recipes over spinach because kale helps cut the sweetness of the fruit and delivers more than twice the recommended daily value of calcium than spinach.

Kale is readily available most of the year and is inexpensive. My local supermarket carries it for 99 cents per pound and organic can be found for $2.99 per pound (which is enough to make 3-4 large smoothies).

Nutrition and Health Benefits

Kale contains beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin (a carotenoid similar to lutein), calcium and fiber. A sulfur-containing phytonutrient in kale called sulforaphane is believed to have powerful anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial properties and is released when the leaves are chopped or chewed (or blended in a green smoothie!)

Kale also contains powerful antioxidants that help protect against certain cancers such as ovarian cancer. Kale is an excellent green to use for detox smoothies as it has cleansing properties. The nutrients in kale help protect against cataracts while promoting healthy lungs, cardiovascular health and boosts the immune system. Kale has anti-inflammatory properties making it an excellent food for those with rheumatoid arthritis.

How To Select Kale

Select kale with deeply colored green leaves that are firm and do not show signs of wilting, yellowing or browning. Kale is readily available year round. Since kale ranks highly for pesticide residue (ranking 69 out of 100) according to research conducted by the

Using Kale In Green Smoothies

Kale has a slightly stronger flavor than baby spinach, so if you are not used to green smoothies, you might want to use strongly flavored fruit such as strawberries or pineapple to help mask the flavor. You can also slowly introduce kale into your smoothie recipes and increase the amount to two cups per recipe over time. I enjoy the flavor of kale in my green smoothies. Kale has a firmer texture than spinach as well, so you might need to blend your shake slightly longer if you are not using a high-end Vita-Mix blender.

About Tracy Russell

I created Incredible Smoothies after I lost 40 pounds and dropped my cholesterol by 50 points. My goal in life is to motivate others to achieve their health and weight loss goals through whole foods and fitness. Read more about my story.

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Medical Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to be used as medical advice or to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. The statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always work directly with a qualified medical professional before attempting to treat any illness or medical condition with diet and lifestyle, or when changing or discontinuing any prescription medications. Always check with your doctor before starting any new diet or fitness program.